The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has suspended Deepak Sharma, the executive committee member accused of assaulting two female players, from participating in any football-related activities until further notice. The matter has been referred to the AIFF disciplinary committee for further action. (More Football News)
Sharma had been arrested by Goa police after the host state association lodged a complaint against him. Sharma was later released on bail. Two members of Indian Women’s League 2 (IWL 2) club Khad FC had accused the senior AIFF official of storming into their room and physically assaulting them on March 28. The players had complained to AIFF’s competitions committee the following day.
On Saturday (March 30), AIFF had asked Sharma to refrain from football-related activities till the completion of a investigation by an ad-hoc committee into the incident. Then on Monday, the emergency committee of AIFF comprising president Kalyan Chaubey, vice-president NA Haris and treasurer Kipa Ajay, took stock of the complaints received from the players against Sharma.
Thereafter, a meeting of AIFF member associations was held on Monday night and "Sharma was called and heard for a few minutes before he was advised to leave the meeting". The national football federation also dissolved the three-member committee formed on March 30 to probe the incident, and instead referred the matter to its disciplinary committee.
Union sports minister Anurag Thakur had earlier asked AIFF to take "quick" and "strong legal action" against the official.
Commenting on the federation's decision, Chaubey said, “The AIFF is determined to promote women's football in a safe and enabling environment and will take all necessary steps to ensure this. The incident in Goa during IWL 2, should not be amplified to undermine the AIFF’s developmental efforts in women’s football. The particular case has now been referred to the disciplinary committee and will be taken up emergently."
